donations. the memorial is a national nonprofit that doesn't receive city, state or federal funding for its operations. that's "hardball" for now. thank you for being with us. "politicsnation" with al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks, michael, and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, president obama calls out republicans. late this afternoon, the president gave a news conference at the white house. he strongly defended his health care law, and he slammed republican extremists for their threat to shut down the government if obama care isn't defunded. >> between october 1st into march, there will be an open enrollment period in which millions of americans for the first time are going to be able to get affordable health care. now i think the really interesting question is why it is that my friends in the other

party have made the idea of preventing these people from getting health care their holy grail, their number one priority. the one unifying principle in the republican party at the moment is making sure that 30 million people don't have health care. >> they are holy grail. their number one priority. >> the notion is simply that those 30 million people or the 150 million who are benefitting from the other aspects of affordable care will be better off without it. that's their assertion. not backed by fact, not backed by any evidence. that's just become an ideological fixation. well, i tell you what. they're wrong about that. >> it's an indictment of a party that has lost its way. and would lead this country in a

dangerous direction. >> the idea that you would shut down the government unless you prevent 30 million people from getting health care is a bad idea. i can tell you that the american people would have difficulty understanding why we would weaken our economy, shut down our government, shut down vital services, have people who are not getting paid, who then can't go to restaurants or shop for clothes or all the other things that we're doing here. because republicans have determined that they don't want to see these folks get health care. >> shutting down the government to prevent 30 million americans from getting health care. this is sick. and in recent days, even some republicans admitted it would be

political suicide. but many others are still caught in their own radical rage. >> i will not vote for any continuing resolution that funds even a single penny of obama care. >> the american people shouldn't fund it. that's what i intend to do. >> how can you be against obama care but vote for a budget that funds implementation? >> i think funding obama care is a huge mistake. >> this is the broken logic of extremism. this is what the president defiantly attacked today. and it's the opposite of what americans want. joining me now is ed rendell and nia-malika henderson. thank you for being here tonight. >> my pleasure. >> the president seemed really unhappy with this republican game of chicken on shutting down the government. how do you see it? >> well, i think the president's dead-on. he is right to be defiant. this is the law of the land.

the supreme court with a predominant number of republican appointees upheld affordable health care act as the law of the land. it's over. they've tried to repeal it 40 times. it's gotten nowhere. right now they should act responsibly and deal with a responsible budget, deal with the debt ceiling down the road, and get off this ridiculous idea. ecause the president talks about 30 million people that wouldn't get health care. but there is more than that, heavy. do the republicans want to go back to the time when a person with a preexisting illness could not get health care? do they want to go back to the time when someone who has health care but gets sick can be dropped? >> right. >> do they want to go back to the time when people have caps on how much the health insurance companies have to spend -- >> and a limit on young people being cut off early. >> right. they're crazy if they want to go back to that. and the american people, first of all, they hate this type of confrontation.

if the republicans in the house go through with this, rev, they will pay. and i believe they will lose the majority in the house in the 2014 election. it's insane for them to do it. it's strong for them politically. but most importantly, it's bad for the country. >> nia, do you believe if they go through with this that they will pay for it politically, that they are flirting with political suicide. >> you know, it's interesting. you have many republicans, including mitt romney who are making the very same argument that you're making here, that ed rendell is making here. you flash backed to the last time this was happening when bill clinton was in office and they suffered at the polls mightily because they shut down the government. this sort of brinksmanship, the public does not like. and this idea i think that obama framed it very nicely today when he said that they want to shut down the government so that they can deny 30 million people health care. i thought it was a really nice framing and sets the republicans

up in the fall to figure out a way forward. i think the majority of republicans are very easily, especially in the senate side, don't agree with ted cruz. they don't think that the government should be shut down, and in states all across the country, obama care is the reality. it might not be known as obama care. it's called something else in colorado and california and all of these other states like idaho. but the reality is it's the law of the land. the supreme court has ruled on it. so the question i think for republicans is how long are they going to keep wanting to fight the same old war? >> that's a good question, governor, how long. and nia-malika gave a number of names of more moderate but big republicans that have said what this will do, including mitt romney. but speaker boehner, the speaker of the house, says he still hasn't decided whether he'll push for a shutdown over obama care.

he has not said that this is political suicide and we can't do it. watch this. [ inaudible ] >> we made no decisions about how we're going to proceed with the cr. >> i mean, does this inspire or put fuel on the fire to these extremists in his party? >> sure. it sort of gives them a permission slip to go ahead and float this incredibly destructive idea. i don't know, speaker boehner, i actually like him personally, and i think he is a good man in general. but boy, he is gutless in not confronting this terrible idea, terrible for the party and terrible for the country. you know, the problem is in some of the districts that the tea party republicans represent, their stand is going to be popular. it's not going to cost them at the polls. but we've got four moderate republican congressmen in the philadelphia suburbs, and we're going to go against them next year. and we're going to say look, pat meehan is a good guy.

you can't elect pat meehan, because that will keep control of the house in republican hands, and the tea party runs the show. so you can't vote for pat meehan, even though he is a good guy. and that's where they're going to lose. they're going to lose control in those areas. >> nia, the other reason that they will have problems is on the very facts of the affordable care act. the president made a very affirmative case defending the success of the affirmative health care act. listen to this. >> as we speak right now, for 85% of americans who already have health insurance, they are benefitting from being able to keep their kid on their plan if their kid is 26 or younger. you've got millions of people who received rebates because part of the affordable care act was to say that if insurance company isn't spending 80% of your premium on your health care, you get some money back.

folks who have been bumping up with life-time limits on their insurance, that leaves them vulnerable. that doesn't exist. seniors have been getting discounts on their prescription drugs. free preventative care, mammograms, contraception. that's happening right now. >> so we are really seeing, nia-malika, the president is talking about an act that has helped millions of people and will continue to do so as enacted. that clearly supposed to be the role of government. >> that's right. it also contradicts republicans. republicans have this idea that somehow they're going to stop something that has already happened. the reality is we already live in a country where obama care has already been implemented, and it's already affecting people's lives. and the reality i think for republicans is this is a last-ditch effort. come october, folks are actually going to be able to sign up with

those state exchanges. and then, you know, as things happen, and i think there will be glitches in obama care and obama talked about that, but once this rolls out, and it really begins to impact and affect a wider slew of people in this country, it's going to be harder for republicans to raise these same sorts of concerns. but i think for now, they're very much looking at 2014 and really exciting, their base, especially in some of these congressional races that we'll see in 2014. >> i've got to go. but i want you, governor, to see what the head of the republican party rush limbaugh had to say about when he insists protection for people with preexisting conditions is too generous. look at this. >> they have high rates because they already require insurance companies to cover a lot of the

nonsense mandated under obama care, preexisting, which isn't insurance, that's welfare. >> welfare to help people with preexisting conditions. governor, that you mentioned the head of the republican party calls it welfare. just thought you should know. >> every other developed country in the world does it, protects their citizens. and the greatest country in the world, the richest country in the world has to be doing it. and the president passed a bill that guarantees that we will. >> governor ed rendell and nia-malika henderson, thank you for your time tonight. i hope you both have a great weekend. >> you too. >> you too. coming up, they live in a right wing bubble of make-believe. so today president obama brought out the facts. plus, the tea party monster that just can't be stopped. more town hall video you need to see. and it's become a summer tradition like no other. yes, it's the attack on problem's vacation. we'll do a little grilling of

our own tonight. and have a question, a comment, e-mail me. friend or foe, i want to know. [ whispering ] uh! i had a nightmare!

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fact-free world. they get their ideology get in the way of good policy and common sense. so now part of the president's job is to be the fact checker in chief, debunking the latest spin from the right wing. here is his response today to a question from a reporter with fox news. >> on september 11th we'll have the first anniversary of benghazi, and you said on september 12th, make no mistake, we'll bring justice to killers who attacked our people. >> yeah. >> 11 months later, where are they, sir? >> well, i also said we would get bin laden, and i didn't get him in 11 months. we are intent on capturing those who carried out this attack. and we're going to stay on it until we get them. >> the president is going to stay on it until we get the terrorists. his record backs that up. even though the right wing spin machine tries to ignore it. and here is the president using a specific real world example to

hit back against the gop lies about health care. >> i met a young man today on a bill signing i was doing with the student loan bill who came up to me and said thank you. he couldn't have been more than 25, 26 years old. thank you. i have cancer. thanks to the affordable care act working with the california program, i was able to get health care, and i'm now in remission. >> a young man with cancer now in remission. that is the fact about the health care law. we can all have our own opinions, but we can't have our own facts. and sometimes the truth is the best weapon. joining me now is melissa harris-perry, host of melissa harris-perry here on msnbc. thank you for being here. >> absolutely. >> melissa, will the president's fact-based argument reach any of these right-wingers off in their

alternative universe? >> you know, it is one of those challenges that the president has. and i think we really saw it especially in the question that came about benghazi. on the one hand, there is the president trying to address the nsa anxieties, which have mostly been a set of stresses from the left about -- not exclusively, but about the idea that the nsa is, you know, using this intelligence gathering information in a way that is problematic for american citizens. and then he has from fox news a question about are you going to go get the terrorists. and you see exactly what the president is trying to do. >> right. >> is manage not just sort of the normal things that a president has to manage about two sides, but the idea on one side that he is soft on terrorism, but he is letting people get away. and on the other side, he is somehow in all of our e-mail inboxes. >> all about conversation. but he has also had to deal with debunking the talking points on health care that are few glitches makes the whole thing

bad. listen to this. >> there is no doubt that in implementing the affordable care act. the program with this significance, there are going to be some glitches. no doubt about it that was true of social security. that was true of medicare. that was true of the children's health insurance program. that's true, by the way, of a car company rolling out a new car. it's true of apple rolling out the new ipad. our goal is to actually deliver high quality affordable health care for people and to reform the system so costs start going down and people start getting a better bang for the muck. i make no apologies for that. >> so, again, the president has such a challenge here. we know that there is a whole group of people who are willing to allow their constituents, particularly if we look at texas, for example, if we allow their constituents to go without the benefits of health care simply because they have a ideological anxiety about president obama. you know, the fact problem is that you can't get past what

should be the most basic fact, which is in a democracy the way it's supposed to work is if you get elected, you're supposed to be held accountable by your constituents for whether or not the policies you make are good for them. in this case, what they have managed to do is to define anything that is anti-obama is good for you, even if in fact it's the opposite. >> and the facts speak -- for example, on obama care, as we call it, and as the president has called it, has given almost a million young people coverage. helped almost 8 million get rebates from their insurance. saves seniors on prescriptions, just on prescription drug costs. these are tangible facts. >> and this is where the republicans are going to have a tough time. now that there has been partial implementation, now rolling back obama care means taking health care away from people. >> and they have no plan. i mean, their whole plan is just let's repeal obama care. another thing that he did today,

he signed the student loan bill which you saw him refer to. >> thank you, lordy. >> i know you like that. it helps make higher education more affordable. he had a message for congress when he signed it. watch. this. >> good signing bills. i haven't done this in a while. hint, hint. >> how about a budget, mr. president. >> there you go. that's what i'm talking about. >> i mean, do republicans understand that the american people want to see more scenes like this, things being done, bills being signed? relief and help to the american people? >> look, this student loan one is such a great example, right? >> absolutely. >> what we know, these two loans have this massive impact across the economy. the first of all, when young people and their parents are burdened with student loan debt, then they don't have consumer dollars to spend out to stimulate the economy. >> which affects the economy. >> in massive ways. and then, this is the part that like you would think that even

alumni of conservative universities would get on board. the university that is right next to mine, right next to tulane at loyola saw a massive drop in freshmen enrollment this year. why was there a massive drop in freshmen enrollment? normally half the number would come. only about a third of them came. why? because their parents are no longer eligible for student loans under these new student loan eligibility requirements that are tightened. what does that do? that puts loyola, a catholic mostly conservative university in a serious economic biepd. so what you see here is republican lawmakers willing to stand in the way of the president, stand in the way of democratic lawmakers, being able to make policy that is just good economic policy to take us back in a recessionary mode. >> they hurt the country, and they hurt the people in the country because of their whole hatred of this president. and it is amazing the president also responded to critics of the

gop on immigration reform. watch this. >> what they may argue is it doesn't solve the problem 100%. i don't know a law that solves a problem 100%. social security lifted millions of seniors out of poverty, but there are still some poor seniors. the civil rights act and the voting rights act drastically reduced drizzle in america, but there is still discrimination. it doesn't make bad laws. don't worry about your washington politics. solve problems. >> solve problems. that's the key. >> absolutely. and, you know, what he didn't say, but is the other kind of underlying thing there is of course the voting rights act was so successful in solving its problem that the supreme court used its very success against it saying well, we now no longer need the preclearance on the voting rights act because it's been so successful. i mean, the president by

invoking social security, by invoking the civil rights act is telling us how historic and important immigration reform can be. no bill is perfect. and when they have been perfect, when they have been really good, this supreme court has actually used that against us. >> and politically, i don't think it's going to help the republicans. my mother used to say don't cut off your nose to spite your face. melissa harris-perry, thank you for your time tonight. and be sure to catch melissa harris-perry on saturdays and sundays at 10:00 a.m. eastern time. still ahead, republican town brawls. the gop lost control of the tea party monster they created. >> i want boehner up there to find this guy and say we're going to impeach them with you if you do not start obeying the laws. plus, remember all those times that fox criticized president bush for going on vacation? me neither.

but the far right blowhards are certainly going after president obama. i'll set the record straight tonight. [ male announcer ] running out of steam? ♪ now you can give yourself a kick in the rear! v8 v-fusion plus energy. natural energy from green tea plus fruits and veggies. need a little kick? ooh! could've had a v8. in the juice aisle.

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republican lawmakers have gone back to some tired old talking points. with new attacks on the board.

check out what they're saying now about food stamps. >> fraud. it's 100% goal is fraud. we shouldn't be supporting those that won't work. they're spending their money some place. >> as far as 50 million nutritionally deprived people in this country, i beg to differ. i think there is 330 million starving. at least two to three times a day. we call it breakfast, lunch, and dinner. it's not a lifestyle. >> poverty is a lifestyle? 100% of food stamp use is fraud? the congressman should tell that to the nearly 48 million americans who rely on food stamps to help feed their families. we're hearing the same garbage from fox news, which is airing a one-hour special attacking the poor. >> food stamp abusers, feeding on taxpayers. inside the waste and corruption. and where your money is really going. a shock. fox news reporting, tonight.

>> shocking. here is a fact that might shock the folks over at fox news. food stamp fraud is practically nonexistent, 1%. just 1. one of the funds that are mishandled, 1%. that means 99% is going to people who really need food stamps, who need the help to feed their families. but republicans don't care. they want to cut $40 billion from the program. that's taking away food from the most vulnerable americans. 45% are children. 8% are seniors. and 20% are in disabled households. those are the facts. food for thought for the gop. did these right-wingers think we would ignore their shameful attacks on the poor? nice try, but we got you. his dad knows he's not.

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i'd like to take a moment to thank gop congressman mark wayne mullen. at a town hall yesterday, a self-identified birther princess tried to spout nonsense about the president being born in kenya. but don't worry, he was having none of it. >> my question is what do you know about obama's identification fraud? >> let me just stop you right there. are you talking about the birth certificate? >> uh-huh. >> we lost that argument on november 6th. >> thank you, republicans. that's the way you talk to a self-proclaimed birther princess. this is refreshing, isn't it? let's hear a little more straight talk from the congressman. i believe what you're saying, and i don't support this president whatsoever. who would ever thought we would actually be questioning if we had a natural born president

being president. i believe it's still there. but we didn't prove it the first four years, what do you think the chances are now? >> the chances are none. this is the problem with the gop. instead of debunking the birther princess, they shine her crown. wonder why we see gridlock? why there is so little getting done? it's because republicans are embracing this rhetoric from their base. >> i want boehner up there defying this guy and saying we're going to impeachment if you if you do not start obeying the laws. >> the republicans are too nice. >> listen, we're dying out here, because you guys are being nice guys. this is not a boy scout meeting. >> it's not. and you're acting like boy scouts. you've got to fight. >> i want to see more defiance. >> we've seen this dozens of times where boehner will not fight. where mcconnell will not fight. >> are we talking about the same mcconnell?

does he know a different boehner than i do? the problem isn't that the right is not being defiant enough, it's that they're letting their far right base drive them right over the cliff. joining me now, goldie taylor and ryan grim. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> good to be here. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. >> goldie, let me start with you. is that what all this gridlock in washington is about, appealing to this far right base? >> well, it certainly is. you know, reverend sharpton, i've been on campaign trails in and out for nearly 25 years. this used to be the stuff of whisper campaigns, the kind of things you kept inside of the campaign at the local and grassroots level. we have watched it manifest itself on the national stage over the last five to six years in ways that are really quite surprising to me, that these kinds of rumor, innuendos have taken on sort of mainstream prominence. and so you're watching the daily caller. you're watching news busters.

you're watching websites out there that are pushing this stuff actively. and then you're watching it make it to mainstream media in ways that the gop establishment cannot contain really the way that they used to be able to. this used to be a tool. and now it's going to work to the detriment. >> ryan, by the way, this latest birther congressman i played, he had this to say about his comments after they came out. the spokeswoman releases the statement saying, quote, he doesn't support the birther argument. he just misspoke when he said that. he, however, did not misspeak when he says i do not support this president whatsoever. i'm so happy for the explanation, ryan. >> right. what you're getting this summer at these town halls is really the worst of all worlds for republicans, because it's just enough crazy to embarrass the republican leaders back here in washington. but it's not enough crazy to kind of derail say immigration reform.

compare the energy around these town halls to what you felt back in august of 2009 when there was that reaction against health care reform. a lot of those that was organized by freedom works. but it's clear if you compare it now, the intensity was so much stronger. and they almost took down health care reform as a result of it. they took out the senate super majority. but now you're not seeing that at all. so people are going to come back to washington and say well, actually there wasn't this crazy outburst about immigration reform there is a lot of people that said a lot of idiotic things that embarrassed us. but there was no kind of groundswell of opposition. it is really the worst of all worlds for them. >> you know, goldie, gop congressman steve stockman said in an interview that democrats are winning the health care argument because of wheelchairs.

listen. >> one of the things that we're doing wrong is we're accepting the argument when we defund obama care, that we're closing the government down. we're not. in fact, we're saving the nation's future by not funding it. as republicans, we get out of calculator real quick and show us that the bill doesn't cost xyz, and then the democrats will bring out somebody in the wheelchair and we lose the argument on visuals. circumstances that insensitive? is that gross, or am i overreacting, goldie? >> i think it's absolutely incredible that he would say something like this or think something like this in the public square like this and not be outright embarrassed by it. i'm still hearing friends and neighbors really have some misconceptions about what obama care and its tenets really are. so there really is campaign that has to be waged in terms of just informing the public about what is available and will be available to them under this. republicans have engaged in a

misinformation campaign that really has taken route. they've done tate grassroots in ways that really haven't affected this country there is a lot of work on the democratic side to do that. as for republicans, they have to find a way to get this cat back in the bag. the 2014 midterm elections are on the way, and i'm sure they want to fan the flames to turn out their base. but this the process, you know, they could cut off their nose just to spite their face. >> well, you know, ryan, the base is what is driving the problem. 67% of republican voters think the party has compromised enough or too much. 59% say the party should be the same or more conservative. so their base is driving this. >> and so you come to this interesting place where the republican elected officials can't actually ever be conservative enough to satisfy their base.

and they have themselves to blame for this, you know. they sowed these seeds over the last couple decades by persuading the base not to trust the media, not to trust any institutions in this country. so now they don't trust them. in fact, a lot of the rank and file members of the house don't trust their leadership. so what do you do then when you have riled up this base so much that there is simply no way for you to satisfy them? so i think at some point boehner, who might not stick around as speaker next term by his own choice, might just say look. these people can't be satisfied. and there wasn't enough of an uproar against immigration reform. saying you know what? let's just do it. forget about it. >> so do you think, goldie, if boehner let's just do it, that they would be able to get sufficient numbers of republicans to come to their

sanity, or would he just be throwing a hail mary, knowing that he is likely to not be able to move forward in terms of establishing real reform. >> i think running the math today, i don't see a pathway forward, even though this is something that republicans truly need if they're really going to expand their tent. it seems that the tent is getting smaller and smaller. i don't see some of these tea party republicans getting on board, no matter what immigration reform looks like, if there is any pathway to citizenship, if there is any pathway really to what they call amnesty in this country. i think they're in for a real surprise. over the past decades as they have redrawn census lines and reapportionment, they have literally drawn themselves into more and more deeply red districts. and now they're finding it very, very difficult to find those very districts. >> but they're clearly districts that are far, far right. got to go, ryan. >> absolutely. >> thank you for coming on. thank you, goldie. and both of you have a great weekend.

>> you too, reverend. >> you too, reverend. coming up, president obama and his family are ready for their summer vacation. but some never take a vacation from their bubble. we're going burst it ahead, though. and president obama dances into our summer break. that's next. ♪ [ male announcer ] you wait all year for summer. ♪ this summer was definitely worth the wait. ♪ summer's best event from cadillac. let summer try and pass you by. lease this cadillac srx for around $369 per month or purchase for 0% apr for 60 months. come in now for the best offers of the model year. still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ]

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we're back with a pause from the political battles of the day. a time to rest, relax, and recharge. that's right. it's time for the "politicsnation" summer break. from the dog days of summer to a dog deli. at number three, a butchery in berlin just for pups. that's right. this cold cut shop features 70 kinds of meat for your four-legged friends. so you can treat your doggy to some antelope, ostrich, perhaps he is in the mood for a little zebra or kangaroo? here is reaction from first dog bo. >> i know, all right. you're going to have to go. and at number two, we go from dogs to the bears. we've seen bears falling out of trees and onto trampolines. and we have seen a bear

literally walk into bars in colorado. just last week, we showed you this bear pulling dumpsters behind a restaurant. but how about a bear on a jet ski? yep. it happened in alaska. this guy is making the most of his summer vacation. or maybe just trying to outdo the water skiing squirrel. finally, at number one, it's the summer of dance i guess. this ohio traffic stop became a disco. a suspected drunk driver got down during his sobriety test. in ireland, these dancers just kicked their way to a world record as the longest line of riverdances ever. we even caught president obama grooving during his july visit to south africa. but it wouldn't be summer break without a shameless toss to this guy.

>> the man will never stop cooking, him jumping up and down, ready to hop. >> it's a summer break dance-off. you can be the judge of this one. and that's today's summer break. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

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we all love summer traditions -- fireworks, barbecues, the beach. and we're seeing the return of a right-wing favorite, attacking the president's vacation. the first family is heading to martha's vineyard tomorrow and the right can't stand it. the drudge report blasted this headline needs a break. utah congressman chris stuart said it was tone dead, claiming most of the people in my

district could never afford to visit martha's vineyard, a place that has a reputation for being for the elite. that's right. when the president isn't a thug, he is a snob. and of course the propaganda wing of the party has been all over this story. >> he is living a pretty extravagant lifestyle, isn't he? martha's vineyard, big expensive vacations, hawaii, while 50 million americans a day are on food stamps. then he is off to martha's vineyard for a vacation. and the mere mortals are upset because the roads are closed 689 the president will hold a press conference tomorrow before he heads to martha's vineyard for a vacation. >> love that accent. but let's go to what those on the right hate more than the bad sunburn, facts. president obama has taken 92

days of vacation since he was sworn in. how many did president bush take by the same point in his presidency? 367. yes, more than a full year of vacation. and why don't we just compare those two for a second, shall we? it's not even close. i know it's the middle of the summer, but nobody deserves a break from reality. joining me now is social commentator nancy giles. thank you for being here tonight. >> thanks, rev. >> nancy, when the right attacks the president's vacations, are they suffering from amnesia? >> you know, they're ridiculous. and to hear the fox crew among other people joining in and making fun of him taking a vacation, sean hannity, bill o'reilly, these are bajillionaires. you want took about elite and not being in touch with real people, let's start with those two. even that representative chris stuart who said most of his

constituents. well, gee, congress has taken five weeks off. that's more time -- >> now. >> after doing nothing, after being the least productive congress we've ever seen. >> i want to know what they're taking a vacation from since they haven't been working. >> yeah. >> but the right started making this vacation argument the president's first year. watch this. >> oh my goodness. >> with the president paying so much for a week of leisure, you might think about money a bit. >> that's why the marie antoinette joke of the moochelle obama. it is why some people say that it looks like these two just wanted to be president for the perks. >> there he goes jetting off tickle his toes in the sand of martha's vineyard and probably burying his head in the proverbial sand. >> 16 vacations, 90 rounds of super golf.

>> our dedicated commander in chief has since returned to his wonderful vacation in hawaii. once again showing us all that he simply does not have your best interests and mine. >> so they're not just attacking the president, but they're also attack his family. >> oh, yeah, because they're all up for grabs. and, again, these are wealthy people that are making these charges. and bill o'reilly and glenn beck, they also have radio shows. and, you know, the kind of money and the kind of privilege that they have is amazing. i will say when george w. bush was in office, i know a lot of people on the left made fun of him, but they should have. he took almost as much as four times off. >> the president took more vacation than any modern president. >> right. >> he made 77 trips just to his texas ranch, spending all or part of 490 days. i mean, so vacations are fine as long as they're in texas. >> right. and can i also say about martha's vineyard, because have i relatives that live there. anybody who wants to call it

elitist is crazy because it's one of the few american vacation spots like summer colonies that has had a tradition of being diverse. black people have been going there for vacation since the 1800s. and i happen to like that our commander in chief is living a life as a leader and trying to lead by example and showing, hey, black people, white people, all kinds of people can vacation together. >> it is an eclectic place, but very much diverse. >> right. >> and to be fair, presidents work on vacations. >> of course they do. >> but i don't remember the right getting upset when this moment happened back in 2002. >> okay. >> i call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. thank you. now watch this drive. >> now that. >> got upset when president

obama seriously addressed the issue of russia on jay leno's show. >> right. >> here is a president talking about a terrorist attack, and now watch this drive in golf, almost mocking his statement. not a word. >>. no. >> imagine if president obama did something like that. >> not only if president obama did something like that. as a person in news, if you go from something serious to and now here we are golfing, you would be laughed at. and of all people, george w. bush, after while he was on vacation and he was given that very specific report, bin laden determined to strike inside the u.s. and didn't really pay attention, he really should never have said that. >> and his supporters ought to really chill, as the kids say. nancy giles, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. friend or foe, i want to know. "reply al" is next. riding the dog like it's a small horse is frowned upon in this establishment! luckily though, ya know, i conceal this bad boy underneath my blanket just so i can get on e-trade. check my investment portfolio, research stocks...

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when her sister dumped me. grandpa was my dad a good athlete? no. oh dad, you remember my friend alex? yeah. the one that had the work done... good to see you. where do we go when we die?

the ground. who's your girlfriend? his name is chad. and that's where babies come from. [ male announcer ] sometimes being too transparent can be a bad thing. this looks good! [ male announcer ] but not with the oscar mayer deli fresh clear pack. it's what you see is what you get food. it's oscar mayer. it's time for "reply al." remember, friend or foe, i want to know.

sharon writes where can one find information on what is required for voter id in specific states? great question, sharon. a lot of our viewers have been asking about this. you can go to ncsl.org to find all kinds of information about voting in every state. so give that a try. now, they just give you the basic facts. they do not give you the emotion and the drive republicans are doing to try to drive these legislative changes through and really suppress voters. in order to get, that go to "politicsnation" every night. we'll be covering that every night. james wants to know, rev, you should have called your show revved up. well, you know, that's not a bad suggestion. we had a lot of suggestions. and who knows what lies in the future? but you got one thing right. everybody is revved up every

night. and if you want the stay revved up, stay with "politicsnation." one thing we'll never do is put you to sleep early. and put you to sleep uninformed. we want to answer your questions. e-mail me. askrev@msnbc.com. remember, friend or foe, i want to know. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. have a great weekend. "hardball" starts right now. defending obama care. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm michael smerconish in for chris matthews. leading off tonight president obama throws down the gauntlet on republicans launching an all-out offensive against republican threats to cripple his signature achievement, obama care. in a press conference late today the president was defiant.